Rich Cronin of LFO Passes Away

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[lastfm]Rich Cronin[/lastfm], former singer in the group [lastfm]LFO[/lastfm] and best known for the 1999 hit “Summer Girls,” passed away yesterday after a long fight with leukemia. He was 35 years old.

Cronin formed the group [lastfm]LFO[/lastfm] (Lyte Funkie Ones) with [lastfm]Brian Gillis[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Brad Fischetti[/lastfm] in 1995, though Gillis would later give way to [lastfm]Devin Lima[/lastfm]. The band released its platinum-selling self-titled album in August of 1999, after “Summer Girls” became a top-five smash.

[lastfm]LFO[/lastfm] was a part of the late-90s boy band wave of artists that rules the pop charts, following the wake left by groups like [lastfm]’N Sync[/lastfm] and the [lastfm]Backstreet Boys[/lastfm]. [lastfm]LFO[/lastfm] released two albums before splitting. Cronin went on to release a solo album and appear on a VH1 reality show with members of [lastfm]Color Me Badd[/lastfm], [lastfm]98 Degrees[/lastfm] and [lastfm]’N Sync[/lastfm].

However, his work in music might be less important than his charitable efforts. In 2005, Cronin was diagnosed with leukemia. After cycles of chemotherapy, he went into remission and founded the Rich Cronin Hope Foundation to help spread awareness about the disease and the importance of bone marrow and blood donations.

Our own morning show host, Carson Daly, addressed Cronin’s passing on the air today. Listen to his kind thoughts about his friendship and relationship with Rich Cronin:

We at AMP pass along our sincere condolences to Rich’s family, friends and associates.